Separation of amniotic fluid cell types in primary culture by Percoll density gradient centrifugation

Amniotic fluid cells obtained by transabdominal amniocentesis at 15-17 weeks of gestation and cultured for 15 and 21 days were separated into three fractions by density gradient centrifugation in Percoll. Each fraction (or peak) corresponded to the following densities: peak A, 1.02-1.03 g/ml; peak B, 1.04-1.05; peak C, 1.05-1.06. Peak A was composed of both non-viable and viable cells; the latter adopted the morphology of epithelial cells in culture. Peak B contained a mixture of fibroblasts and epithelioid cells and peak C had only epithelioid cells. The variability of N-acetyl-beta-hexosaminidase and alkaline phosphatase activities was reduced in peaks B and C as compared to that of peak A and of unseparated cells suggesting that more defined and homogeneous cell types for enzymatic determinations can be obtained by centrifugation in Percoll density gradient. In prenatal diagnosis of biochemical defects, the separation of cells would permit a more precise diagnosis by eliminating enzyme variability due to the presence of different cell types or non-viable cells.